Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-3vs Alcorn State | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 8-43@ Auburn | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#5
Nasim Cairo
Senior defensive lineman on Southern Miss's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 280 lb · Edwardsville, IL · Edwardsville HS
Returning to Southern Miss for 2026
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
0.5 TFL · 4 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 0.5 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Alcorn State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Southern Miss's 2026 roster.
- Signed with Southeast Missouri State in 2022.
Nasim Cairo
One game to point at: 3 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Alcorn State — Week 1, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Southeast Missouri Stateout of Edwardsville
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Southern Miss
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026Southern Miss1-1HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 2.0 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Blake Anderson
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 49–3
vs Alcorn State
3 TOT · 0 TFL
Dominant 46-point win at home against Alcorn State.
With M. Johnson — 13 rush yds (1 car) · E. Hampton — 180 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 15 rush yds (3 car)
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Southern Miss
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Southern Miss
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +10 net (38 in / 28 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Southern Miss · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #94 · 2026 recruiting class #108
Background
2025 (Sr.): Appeared in four games…Posted 10 tackles (one solo) with a fumble recovery against Arkansas State (8/30)…Posted season-high five stops against North Alabama (9/6)…added three versus Southern Illinois (9/20)…2024 (Jr.): Second-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference-Big South selection...Start...
The defensive line · Southern Miss
- #5JJ Hawkins5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #16Jameer Lewis4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #36Brodarius Lewis3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #7Isaiah Gibson Sr.1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #5Nasim Cairo2 games · 2026
26 more on the roster · Southern Miss team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology